Exactly 800 years ago, a Frenchman set sail from the north-west of his country with an army of conquest. His plan was to cross the Channel, claim England as his own and have himself crowned king. Oaths had been sworn to him and he considered the throne to be his by right. Yes: 800 years […]
Broomsticks and Orgies
‘When did witches start to fly?’ a reader asked me after the Harrogate History Festival. Good question! Until the 16th century, witchcraft was not a crime unless it caused injury or death. The community needed witches who could calm storms or banish pests from crops. Early writers on witchcraft didn’t mention the infamous witches’ sabbat. […]